FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT EUROPE - PAGE 2

NEW YORK - Investors just can't get past Europe. Renewed worries about the long-running debt crisis weighed on the Dow Jones industrial average Wednesday and held the Standard & Poor's 500 index back from reaching an all-time high. Investors are watching to see whether Cyprus can shore up its banking system. They are also keeping an eye on Italy, where political parties are struggling to form a new government in the eurozone's third-largest economy. The Dow fell 33.49 points to close at 14,526.16, a loss of 0.2 percent.

NEW YORK - The latest twists in Europe's debt drama weighed down the stock market Tuesday, offsetting good news on the U.S. housing market. The Dow Jones industrial average managed a gain of just four points, while other indexes closed slightly lower. The Dow rose 3.76 points, or 0.03 percent, to close at 14,455.82. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 3.76 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,548.34. The Nasdaq composite fell 8.50 points, or 0.3 percent, to 3,229.10. Investors were focused on Cyprus, whose lawmakers voted against a proposed bailout plan for banks that would have called for raiding the savings accounts of ordinary citizens, setting a new precedent in Europe's ongoing debt crisis.

Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw studied art and history in college and then, between them, spent 70 months wandering around Europe peering at it. A result of all that studying and staring is a delightful primer for the reasonably cerebral tourist called Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler (John Muir Publications, paperback, $11.95). The authors' intent is to provide travelers with a broad but painless background for the artworks and historical structures they will see on the Continent.

In the Oct. 12 article on the subject of foul scents in Philadelphia you mention that the number of public restrooms in the city has declined markedly over the last several decades. Perhaps consideration should be given to reversing this trend. During the more than two years I spent traveling all over England during World War II and in many visits back there since, I was relieved to find that almost every town provides well-marked free public conveniences that were, almost without exception, well-equipped and kept clean.

BUDAPEST, Hungary - The mighty Danube is not the only river in Europe bursting its banks this week, but it packs the biggest punch. Winding 1,777 miles across 10 nations, the Danube is the second-longest river on the continent, making its way from Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea bordering Romania and Ukraine. Only the Volga in Russia is longer. In the last decade alone, the Danube has been at the center of two major floods, several devastating droughts, and a winter cold snap that froze the vital waterway for hundreds of miles.

Villanova's basketball team will play five exhibition games in Europe in August. The Wildcats will play in France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands from Aug. 7 to 16. Villanova last traveled to Europe in August 2001 when they played in Italy. "We're very excited to have this opportunity to travel to Europe as a basketball family," coach Jay Wright said in a statement. "This trip will give us a chance to grow together as a team and experience the culture of some amazing cities.

When it comes to rendering decisions with long-range implications, NHL officials often send mixed signals. For instance, the league isn't thrilled about going to the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 or committing to future Olympics. And yet, the NHL covets Europe. It sees Europe as a vast untapped market of unlimited potential. It would like to see U.S. and Canadian clubs competing there in both regular season games and tournaments. Contrasting views, indeed.

The average fuel economy for a new car in the United States is 25 m.p.g. That's far less than the 121 m.p.g.-equivalent of the Scion iQ EV, which is the most fuel-efficient passenger vehicle on the market. But what if a car could get 200 miles per gallon? That's what Volkswagen has achieved with its XL1 - a two-seater that will be the most fuel-efficient car to ever go into production when it makes its way down a German assembly line next year. With a price tag of about $145,000, the return on investment, at current fuel prices, would take decades.

Tomorrow, Francois Mitterrand, the son of a railroad stationmaster and France's longest-serving modern president, will be buried in a family tomb in Jarnac, the town in southwestern France where he was born. His nation will put to rest one of its most complex and accomplished politicians; Europe and the West will bid adieu to one of the 20th century's last great leaders. Mr. Mitterrand, who died Monday after a long bout with cancer, leaves a complicated legacy. He brought the socialist left into mainstream politics, but was unable to make its economic theories stick.

REDSHIRTING is a common practice for college athletes, especially football players. Theoretically, the idea is to give freshmen a year to adjust to college life before throwing in the additional pressures of being an athlete. That they get a free year to physically develop is an important side issue. There are other reasons for redshirting, most often serious injury, and the first recognized case dates back to the University of Nebraska in 1937. Still, while redshirting is declining as more true freshmen are playing, a new phenomena involving the practice appears to be growing popularity.